HARDING SHIELD PROTEST.

Northland Age, Volume III, Issue 34, 2 September 1931, Page 3

HARDING SHIELD PROTEST.

WHANGAREI APPEALS. A strong deputation of local Rugby Union officials and football enthusiasts visited Whangarei on Wednesday last to wait upon the North Auckland Rugby Union for the purpose of entering a protest against the decision of the recent Harding Shield match in which Mangonui met Whangarei. The grounds upon which Mangonui protested were that the referee misdirected the Mangonui captain when he was about to take the kick for goal which followed a penalty try. After a lengthy discussion during which several of the deputation gave evidence, the members of the North Auckland Rugby Union went into Committee. It took this Committee nearly two hours to arrive at a decision. It was their opinion that the deputation’s protest was justifiable and that a replay for the shield should be ordered. When this finding was made known to the Whangarei Union that body intimated that they would refer the matter to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union takes place this evening and advice as to their decision should reach us tomorrow. What the decision of this governing body will be is difficult to say. The New Zealand Rugby rules piovide that they shall have

power to consider all disputes referred to them by an affiliated union. The rules governing the Harding Shield state that in the event of a dispute the decision of the North Auckland Rugby Union shall be binding and final, Rule 46 of the New Zealand Rugby Union provides that in the event of a rule or bye-law of an affiliated union being inconsistent with the rules as set out by the New Zealand Rugby Union such rule or bye-law shall become inoperative.